Saudi Arabia saw 10 hours of dust storms on Thursday, center reports

The Saudi Arabian Ministry of Interior released a clarification concerning a September 30 emergency landing of a flydubai aircraft at Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Tabuk. The ministry explained that the country's officials took appropriate steps following an emergency declared on board flydubai flight FZ1073, granting clearance for the plane to land safely at 9:45am. The aircraft carried 174 passengers and eight crew members, who were all provided with necessary care after landing.

All passengers proceeded with their journey on the same day, while the captain and first officer were taken to the hospital for medical treatment. Preliminary investigations conducted by the Saudi authorities, with the assistance of a security team from the United Arab Emirates, revealed that the first officer had assaulted the aircraft captain, resulting in injuries for both individuals. The nature of the altercation was not elaborated upon in the statement.

Later that day, at 5:40pm, all passengers continued their journey on a replacement flydubai aircraft. The flight crew returned to Dubai on another airline-operated aircraft, while the captain and first officer remained hospitalized due to ongoing assessments of their health. Following a recovery in their condition and receiving medical clearance, both the captain and first officer departed the Kingdom for Abu Dhabi on October 1, accompanied by the Emirati security team.

The Ministry of Interior affirmed that Saudi authorities' response to the incident was in accordance with the Kingdom's international and humanitarian obligations, as well as relevant laws and procedures, with the primary goal of ensuring air navigation safety and the preparedness of the Kingdom's aviation and security systems to handle exceptional situations.